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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · deal · scale · stick · lean · capital · sharp · bore

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. scale — in music
  6. capital — money
  7. lean — to bend
  8. capital — a city
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. season — in sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. scale — size or range
  18. sharp — clever
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com